Western Weekly

A Week of Celebration, Growth, and Western Wolf Pride!

What an amazing, exciting, and reassuring week it has been at Western Avenue! There is so much to celebrate, and I want to take a moment to reflect on the great things happening in our school community.

As many of you know, Western Avenue has earned the state's Exemplary designation for the 2025–2026 school year! This is our first time receiving this recognition since 2020, and we have moved up two designation categories from Commendable to Exemplary! This is an incredible accomplishment and a reflection of the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the continued support of our families. You should have received a letter sharing more details about this achievement. I want to personally thank our parents and community members for the partnership we continue to build. Our success is a reminder of what is possible when we work together to create a strong learning community for our children.

We also welcomed six new members to our Western Avenue family, six beautiful trees! On Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to join several community members in planting these trees to replace those lost during the summer storm. A special thank you to the Peck family for helping make this possible and to everyone who came out to support the effort. These trees will grow alongside our students and serve as a lasting reminder of our community's commitment to Western Avenue.

Our students also had plenty of opportunities to celebrate this week with our PBIS Glow Party and Fall Parties! I hope our Western Wolves enjoyed every moment. Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who helped make these celebrations special for our students.

As we close out Quarter 1 and begin Quarter 2, I encourage everyone to take a moment to celebrate the growth our students have made while continuing to push them toward even greater success. Report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 6.

Annual Veterans Day Breakfast – November 11

One of our special traditions at Western Avenue is our Annual Veterans Day Breakfast, where we come together to honor and celebrate the brave men and women who have served our country. If you are a veteran or have a veteran in your family, we would love the opportunity to recognize and celebrate you! Please submit your information using the registration link provided so we can include you in our celebration on Wednesday, November 11. We look forward to showing our appreciation to those who have sacrificed and served.

Looking ahead, November is shaping up to be another exciting month! One new opportunity I am especially looking forward to is our Alpha Dads After-School Board Game Club! Permission slips will be coming home with students soon. We are also inviting fathers and father figures in our community to get involved. If you are interested in volunteering and spending some meaningful time with our students, please email me directly.

As we move into this new quarter, I am reminded that our success is about more than a state designation. It is about the experiences we create, the relationships we build, and the opportunities we provide for every child to thrive.

Thank you for continuing to Engage, Inspire, and Empower our Western Wolves. Let's make Quarter 2 even better!

There are a lot of Picture Below!

Late Arrival Begins at 8:40 a.m.
Students arriving at 8:40 a.m. or later must be walked into the building and signed in by a parent or guardian.

Arrival and Dismissal

For the safety of all students and families, please do not cross through the car line during morning arrival or dismissal while vehicles are present. Please walk around the car line and use the designated crosswalks when crossing.

Additionally, during dismissal, please do not allow students to play on the playground near the Kindergarten pick-up line, as this area becomes congested during dismissal. Families are welcome to use the playground located near the 5th-grade wing.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

This morning, several members of our community came together to help restore the beauty of Western Avenue by planting new trees to replace those lost during the summer storm.

A special thank you to Katie Martin Peck for coordinating this effort with Flossmoor School District 161, Western Avenue administration, and Possibility Place, which generously donated six native trees valued at over $800!

Our new additions include three Northern Catalpa trees, which grow quickly and will provide wonderful shade in the coming years, and three Bur Oak trees, which can live for approximately 250 years and provide essential food and shelter for hundreds of wildlife species.

We need our Western Wolves to help these trees grow! Please remind your children to be gentle and respectful of our newest playground additions. These trees are already about five years old, and with proper care, they will continue to grow alongside generations of Western Avenue students.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. Together, we are not only restoring our playground but also investing in a greener future for our school community!

📅 Updated Upcoming Dates

• Nov 6th -- Quarter 1 Report Cards
• Nov 6th - Pack Meeting
• Nov 11th --- Veterans Day Breakfast
• Nov 19th -- Book Fair
• Nov 19th -- 2nd Grade Field Trip
• Nov 20th -- PBIS Celebration
• Nov 20th -- Book Fair
• Nov 23rd -- Parent Teacher Conferences
• Nov 24th -- Parent Teacher Conferences
• Nov 25th - 27th --- District Closed Thanksgiving Holidays

Western Avenue Families,

We are honored to celebrate the brave men and women who have served our country. On Tuesday, November 11, 2026, Western Avenue will host a special Veterans Breakfast to recognize and thank the veterans in our community.

📅 Date: November 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Western Avenue Lunch Room

We warmly invite all Veterans to join us for this celebration of service and sacrifice. If you are available and would like to attend, please complete the Google Form below to RSVP.

We look forward to honoring you and showing our deepest gratitude for your service.

With appreciation,
Western Avenue School

Please review our PBIS Focus of the Month and make sure you are familiar with the criteria students must meet to participate in this month’s incentive.

Students who meet the PBIS expectations will earn the opportunity to enjoy Extra Recess during our celebration on Oct 29🎉

We will continue reviewing the expectations and incentive criteria with students at school. We ask that families also take a few minutes to review them with your children at home. Thank you for partnering with us as we encourage our students to make positive choices and meet our schoolwide expectations!

See Something, Say Something We Are a Community

At Western Avenue, we are a community, and keeping our school safe, welcoming, and respectful is everyone’s responsibility. We want our students to understand the importance of “If you see something, say something.”

If a student sees or hears unkind behavior, a situation that could potentially become physical, threats, bullying, or any behavior that could disrupt the safety of our school community, we expect them to connect with a trusted adult immediately. Students should not stand by and watch a situation escalate or encourage it. Getting an adult is not “tattling” it is making a responsible choice to help keep yourself and others safe.

Our goal is to teach students that they are an important part of our school community. When we look out for one another, speak up, and seek help when something does not feel right, we help make Western Avenue a safer and stronger place for everyone.

I recently discovered that we have a popcorn machine, and it works! We will be introducing a fun new weekly incentive to recognize classrooms for their attendance and positive behavior.

Each Friday, four classrooms will be rewarded with popcorn to enjoy during Fun Friday!

We will recognize two classrooms from each grade band (K–2 and 3–5) based on the following criteria:

• Attendance Award: The classroom with the highest attendance rate for the week.

• Positive Behavior Award: The classroom with the fewest behavior referrals for the week.

This means two classrooms from K–2 and two classrooms from grades 3–5 will have the opportunity to earn popcorn each week.

Our goal is to celebrate positive choices, encourage consistent attendance, and build a schoolwide culture of recognition and accountability! If there is a reason you child cannot have popcorn, or you do not want them to participate please email Dr. Ford. Starting November 6th

Attendance Results

10/26 - 10/30

Overall - 94%

Kindergarten- 91.43%

1st - 95.15%

2nd - 95.31%

3rd - 94.22%

4th - 95.53%

5th - 95.42%

PTO Board

Instructional Day

Monday - Friday:

8:30 - 8:40 - Arrival

8:40 - 3:15 - Instructional day

Attendance

If your child will not be attending live class due to sickness, appointment, family obligation, or

other issues please contact the main office. You can email Ms. Sturdivant or Ms. Donahue.

Contact: 708 - 647 - 7400 asturdivant@sd161.org, mdonahue@sd161.org

Birthday Treats

We love celebrating our learners on their birthdays. However, as a reminder students are only allowed to bring NON-EDIBLE birthday things to share. Some ideas that students have brought in are pencils, play-dough, stickers, crayons, glow sticks, etc.

Technology Reminder

We understand that many students bring cell phones and Smart Watches to school, which is acceptable. However, cell phones must remain in book bags during the school day. Students with smart watches may not use them to send text messages or make phone calls. If these devices are used inappropriately, it will result in a technology violation.

• Health Requirement:

• Students entering preschool, kindergarten, and students who are new to the District must provide proof of the required Illinois State physical examination and immunizations.

• All required health documentation must be submitted by October 15, 2026 to the school nurse. Students who have not met these requirements by this date will be excluded from school beginning October 15, 2026, in accordance with Illinois requirements, until the necessary documentation is received.

• Please note: A sports physical does not meet the Illinois school physical examination requirement.

• 2026-27 Student / Parent Handbook

• • Classroom Party Snacks and Parent Opt-Out Option

  • The District 161 approved snack list was developed to promote good nutrition and maintain a safe, healthy school environment. Due to the number of students with food allergies and intolerances, we must carefully monitor the food items brought into our schools. Student safety is our top priority.

  • Parents/guardians have the option to opt out of the PTO-provided party snack if they prefer that their child not participate. Families who opt out may send an alternative snack from home. To opt out, please email your child's classroom teacher and the school nurse as soon as possible.

Students wishing to partake in BREAKFAST will enter Door F (8:25) and proceed to the cafeteria/gym

Transportation Updates

Early Check-Out

If you need to check your child(ren) out early, please make arrangements no later than 2:35 p.m. This allows us time to prepare and ensures a safe and efficient process for all students.

Lunch Delivery Reminder

To help minimize disruptions to student learning, food deliveries from services such as DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, or similar delivery platforms are not permitted for students.

If you need to bring your child a lunch, we kindly ask that you deliver it before or during your child's scheduled lunch period. Delivering lunches during lunchtime helps ensure that students do not miss valuable instructional time while waiting for or eating their meal.

Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in supporting a productive learning environment for all students.

School Transportation Information (Arrival/Dismissal)

Arrival/Drop Off Procedures

Elementary: 8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. arrival

All students will enter the building upon arriving at school to prepare for the day.

Upon drop-off, students will enter the building at 8:30 a.m. and head to their classroom to

unpack and prepare for the day.

Teachers will be waiting for students outside of their classrooms.

Staff will be stationed throughout the grounds to help students navigate to their entry doors

and classes. (See map for entry points and drop-off.)

Stop/drop parking is allowed ONLY on the north side of Vardon Place and the west side of

Brassie Avenue.

Parents must walk their student to the crosswalk area.

DROP-OFF General Safety:

Pull up all the way in the car line until a staff member signals you to stop.

Have children walk to the crosswalk to cross the bus lane.

If your child is being dropped off on the nearby streets, they must walk down to the

crosswalk/concession area for a safe crossing, not between the vehicles.

Do NOT get out of your car in the car line or leave a parked vehicle in the car line.

Tardy:

Students who arrive after 8:40 am will need to be dropped off at the main entrance Door A.

All students must be signed in by an adult in the office if they arrive late.

You must use the entrance on Vardon and park to drop off your student.

NO drop-off/parking is allowed in the Fire/Bus lane off Western Avenue in front of the school.

This MUST stay clear at all times for emergency vehicles.

Arrival Guidelines (Bus Riders)

Bus information will be available in Skyward. If you see any issues,

please contact Virginia Garcia at 708-546-7072.

Once the bus arrives at the building, a staff member will dismiss the bus, and students will

proceed to their entrance door (see map below).

Walker No Parent Required Guidelines

Students allowed to walk home without a parent present will exit their designated doors and

walk home.

Car Rider/Walking Parent Guidelines

Walkers will be dismissed out the doors marked on the map below.

Parents walking to pick up students must have their car tag number.

Pull up all the way in the car line until a staff member signals you to stop.

Staff will relay which vehicle Pick Up Tag numbers are in the car line and have those students

ready to load in the vehicles.

Your child will be directed to your vehicle by a staff member. Parents in the car line need to

stay in the vehicle at all times. Staff will assist with opening car doors for younger students if

needed.

Email: mford@sd161.org

Website: https://www.sd161.org/o/western-avenue

Location: 940 Western Avenue, Flossmoor, IL, USA

Phone: Phone: 708-647-7400

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/district161wa

Twitter: @western161